INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A consulting firm says U.S. companies anticipate another big increase in medical costs next year and many workers will be expected to pay a bigger share.
The PricewaterhouseCoopers report released to The Associated Press says that for the first time, most of the American workforce is expected to have health insurance deductibles of $400 or more.
Employees who are asked to pay more through things like higher deductibles help keep cost growth in check because they use less health care.
The health care reform law signed by President Obama in March has just started to unfold and will have little impact on costs next year.
PricewaterhouseCoopers found that medical costs are expected to rise 9 percent next year. But this doesn't mean workers will see that big a jump. Employers often try to soften the blow.
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